ANBI
1030
Artwork
Mural Painting
Safety
Street Art Museum Amsterdam
Author:
Alaniz
Artist Bio:
Place:
Dirk Sonoystraat
Date:
Technique:
brush
Material:
Brick
Acquisition:
Commission
Completed:
2013
Condition:
Gone / Illegible
Physical Description:
Alaniz's work stands out for the craftsmanship with which it is produced. In keeping with the artist's tradition, the emphasis is on the ability to create an almost photorealistic portrait of the chosen situation, which blends harmoniously with a slightly rougher style reminiscent of the Latin muralist tradition. The use of chiaroscuro is very important: we have already mentioned Alaniz's ability to play with brushes and here this is translated into a majestic use of chiaroscuro, both in the wolves and in the shepherd girl. This not only provides a striking visual effect, but also ensures that the work can be admired from a distance and, above all, that it is well preserved in time.
Iconography:
The image painted by Alaniz represents a young woman shepherd defending a small goat from the arrival of wolves.
As the artist himself says, the work can be read in different ways: for Alaniz the message is positive, the moral is to defend what is most dear to us even during the darkest and most difficult times. It is a work that calls for empathy and mutual love.Iconographically, the wolf relates biblically to evil, just as the lamb is a symbol of salvation but also of innocence. Referring in this way to the Christian tradition, interspersed with contemporary echoes - such as Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse - Alaniz's aim is to offer a splendid metaphor of the human interior, eternally stretched between doing what is right and falling into sin.
The scene unfolds vertically with a wise use of chiaroscuro that allows an upward reading to begin, from the wickedness of the wolves to the serenity of the sky above, populated by a few birds.
Gallery
